Canton Theatre, Historic movie theater in Canton, Georgia, US.
The Canton Theatre is a movie house in downtown Canton that combines early 1900s architecture with modern projection systems and comfortable seating. The interior maintains period details while providing the viewing equipment expected in a contemporary cinema.
The theatre opened in early 1911 showing slides and silent movies. In the early 1920s new owners renamed it Bonita and ran Friday and Saturday screenings; it later became the Haven, where the first talking picture shown was 'Singing Fool' with Al Jolson. Renamed Canton Theatre in the late 1930s, it was rebuilt with the era's new safety technology in an Art Deco design and reopened in September 1940.
The theatre's names track its history: it opened in 1911, became the Bonita in the early 1920s with Friday and Saturday screenings, then the Haven, where Al Jolson's 'Singing Fool' was its first talking picture. Renamed the Canton Theatre in the late 1930s, it has been run since 2003 by Canton Preservation Inc as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, staging Broadway productions that draw actors and audiences from across Metro Atlanta.
The cinema sits on East Main Street in downtown Canton, walking distance from shops and dining options nearby. Parking is available in the historic district, making it accessible for a casual outing before or after the screening.
The theatre reopened in September 1940 after a redevelopment that fitted it with the safety technology of the day and an Art Deco design. It had already changed names twice before, from Bonita in the early 1920s to Haven, where Al Jolson's talking picture "Singing Fool" was shown.
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